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Everything in your home has a shelf life. Sometimes the shelf life is determined by how long it remains in working condition. Other times it is determined by the changing styles or technology. It can be difficult to determine which components should be upgraded to improve the value of your home or to improve energy efficiency. Old plumbing can also negatively affect the comfort levels in your home. Your water heater might be working intermittently which means you can not take your time in the shower or have a nice long bath. These old components can also make a lot of noise as they experience wear and tear. If your pipes are old then you might experience frequent leaks which can lead to costly water damage. Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Granbury, TX would like to inform you about the different upgrades you can do to your system to improve your home’s value as well as increase the comfort you experience in your home. Some of these upgrades make use of the latest plumbing technology to increase energy efficiency as well.

Greywater Systems

You might have heard about a greywater system from your eco-friendly friends or colleagues but what exactly is a greywater system? This system collects water that has not come into contact with human waste and stores it in a container. Some greywater systems will remove the chemicals from the water and others do not. Once the system has collected the water, it can be used for other things like filling up the toilets or in your irrigation system. You will be recycling the water instead of wasting the slightly dirty water and using fresh clean water. If the system cleans the water then you can also reuse that water for showering, bathing, washing the dishes, and washing the clothes. Since you are not constantly using more clean water, you will be able to save a lot of money on your water bill since you are using a lot less water. If you live in an area that has water restrictions then this system will be a great addition to your home as you do not have to worry about exceeding the water cut-off. You should consult with your plumber to determine which type of greywater system would suit your home and needs. If you have a septic tank system then it will benefit from the greywater system since it will not have to work extremely hard to carry out its responsibilities. There are many components to a greywater system and it has to be connected to the correct systems so that it can work effectively. If you are interested in the eco-friendly system then contact your plumber for more information as well as have your plumber install the system for you.

Smart Water Heaters

Technology has advanced in many different fields and the plumbing field is no exception. We have realized that water is a precious commodity and that if we do not make smarter decisions regarding water then future generations will run into a lot of problems. We should also be aware of our energy consumption so that we do not use more than we need. This can be achieved by installing a smart water heater. These heaters have more advanced technology that allows them to use less energy but still produce the same results. The smart water heaters come with additional functions that traditional water heaters do not have. The first feature that they have is a smart thermostat. This thermostat allows homeowners to control the temperature that they want. They will be able to decrease the temperature in the summer and increase the temperature in the winter. Another great feature is the programs that notify the homeowner when there is a problem with the water heater. Sometimes the program will also inform the homeowner how to fix it or if a plumber is required to repair the system. There are also programs that monitor the water usage in your home so that they can predict how much water should be heated. This will decrease your energy costs. These smart water heaters do not have tanks so you will never worry about running out of hot water. These plumbing technologies are very new and sometimes it can be difficult to find the information you need. You can contact your local plumber for more information. They will also be able to install the smart water heater for you.

Smart Toilets

The technology used for toilets has also improved drastically over the years and it might be time for you to invest in a smart toilet. Traditional toilets use a lot of water to flush away human waste. We tend to use clean drinking water to flush which is wasteful. Smart toilets have new features that make them efficient as well as eco friendly. Here are some of the functions of a smart toilet. If you live in a cold area then you might be excited to hear about the seat heating technology that some smart toilets have. Gone are the days of cold chills running up your body as you sit down on the toilet. These toilets can also have built-in bidets that will clean you and spare you the extra cost of buying toilet paper. Smart toilets also have night lights built in so that you can see where you are going without having to turn on the blinding bathroom light, in the middle of the night. These toilets also have sensors that can detect leaks and prevents your toilet from overflowing if there is something wrong. Some of these smart toilets also have automatic flushing technology that will reduce the spread of germs as you do not have to touch the handle. If you want a smart toilet with all these features then you will have to pay a pretty penny. You can do some research or ask your plumber which brands and models have the features that you are looking for. You will also need your plumber to remove the old toilets and install the new smart toilets. Toilets are very heavy and it is recommended that you do not attempt to do the installation yourself. You do not want to break your smart toilet before using it.

Smart Showers

Following the theme of smart plumbing appliances, let’s look at smart showers. Smart showers can be seen as luxury appliances and they are not as common as smart water heaters or smart toilets. Since they are not as popular you should contact a plumber like Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Granbury, TX to provide you with more information about the different brands of smart showers that you can choose from. You should also enquire about which brands and models they have experience with installing. This will prevent you from going from one plumber to the next. These smart showers have an additional feature just like the smart toilets and water heaters. You will be able to control the exact temperature that you want your shower to be. So you will not have to fiddle with the taps until you feel that the water is at the right temperature. If you have extra money laying around then you might consider asking your plumber to install a smart shower that can be controlled by your voice which is extremely convenient. Everyone knows that you sound much better in the shower when you sing hence why there are Bluetooth shower heads that will play music while you shower. This might seem like an unnecessary upgrade as it does not contribute to saving water or decrease your energy consumption. However, this can be a bonus feature that comes with your smart shower head. This is a luxury feature but it will still increase the value of your home and it might be the thing that sells your home when it is in the market.

Touchless Faucets

Since certain events happened in 2020, people are more conscious about the things that they touch and how often they wash their hands. It is counterproductive to open the faucet, wash your hands, and then have to close the dirty faucet with your clean hands. If you are concerned about the spread of germs then you might want to consult your plumber about installing a touchless faucet. There are motion sensors in these faucets that detect the presence of your hands. It will cause the faucet to open and once you remove your hands the faucet will shut down. This means that you will not have to touch anything. These touchless faucets are very convenient to use in kitchens since you do not have to touch the faucet with your greasy or dirty hands and then once you clean your hands. They will become greasy again once you close the tap. This means that there will be less of a mess to clean after you are done in the kitchen. There are many different types of touchless faucets that you can choose from but it is best to talk to your plumber about which brands will suit your budget as well as which ones will be the easiest to integrate into the existing plumbing system.

Leak Detectors

If you think that all of the abovementioned plumbing upgrades seem too lavish or expensive for your budget you might consider installing some leak detectors. This is a very practical upgrade and this will save you a lot of money. You will be notified as soon as there is a leak in your plumbing system. This decreases the time between the origin of the leak and when you hire a plumber. This will allow you to save some money on your water bill because you will not lose as much water compared to if you left the leak until you could see visible water damage. Some leak detectors are more advanced than others and will show the plumber where the leak is. This will decrease the amount of time that your plumber spends on detecting and fixing the leak. The plumber will inspect your system to determine which parts are more prone to leaks than others and they will install the leak detectors there. These leak detectors will also prevent you from suffering expensive water damage as you will be notified before the leak becomes severe. Plumber highly recommends installing leak detectors because it makes their jobs easier and it puts less stress on your wallet. You will also benefit the environment because you are not allowing excessive amounts of water to go to waste. You should hire a plumber to install the leak detector since they will know where the best spot will be to install it. They will also have the tools needed to install the leak detector so that you do not have to spend an arm and a leg on equipment that you may never use again.

Now that you have more information about the various plumbing upgrades you can do to your home, you can do more research on the subject. If you are the type of person who hates doing research then you can also contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Granbury, TX for advice on which upgrades you would benefit from the most. They make sure that they have up to date information about the newest plumbing technologies that will add value to your life and home. They also provide a wide range of other plumbing services that you might need before or after your upgrades. Their friendly and dedicated plumbers will fulfill all your plumbing needs.

If you would like your plumbing to keep up with the times then contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing servicing Granbury, TX for an appointment.